Lincoln

Lincoln, city and administrative centre of Lincolnshire, eastern England, on the River Witham. Lincoln is the commercial and transport centre for the surrounding agricultural region. Manufactured products include farming machinery and electronic equipment. The city's most prominent building is its cathedral, begun in the 11th century, a fine example of Norman and Gothic architecture. Also notable are Lincoln Castle, erected in 1068 by William the Conqueror; the medieval city gates; and a museum with an extensive archaeological collection. It is home to the Usher Art Gallery, which has a famous collection of paintings by the 19th-century English landscape artist Peter de Wint, as well as the National Cycle Museum. The site, occupied in Celtic times, was taken in ad 47 by the Romans, who named it Lindum Colonia and developed it into an important settlement, housing the 9th legion. In the 9th and 10th centuries it was a Danish borough. During the Middle Ages Lincoln was a prosperous commercial city, and its citizens were granted special privileges. Population 85,616 (2001).